The Clare Cycle Challenge

Welcome to my Blog page, which I hope to use to update everyone on my progress as I get ready to fundraise for my charity cycle in October. I’m a blogger virgin and it might not take off, but I will give it a lash. I know I will be slagged for this but its for charity so go easy. Plus it can entertain you at work.

As some of you already know I will be fundraising for two charities these are Acquired Brain Injury Ireland and Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland.The aim of this blog is;
1. To raise awareness for my fundraising and maximise donations.
2. To raise awareness of the Charities and their importance to the people affected.
3. To update all the followers of the blog/cycle with my training progress or lack thereof, I’m sure there will be some funny stories so please stay tuned.

Below are two links where you can read more about the charities and also donate to the 'cause'.
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/diarmuid_killeen_event/
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/diarmuid_killeens_event/

So, how did this come about, I suppose I better acknowledge the people who helped this idea to come a reality.

It started with an AC/DC concert and will most likely end with blistered feet, a sore ass (from the saddle of course), aching thighs, and shaky knees.
It seems like a strange place to discuss a charity event but on the bus to an AC/DC concert drinking large amounts of vodka and lucozade (a deadly combination) Daragh Clancy, Dara Shannon and myself stumbled on the topic. We all had thought about doing something for a neighbour and Daragh's cousin with CF, I also wanted to do something to raise awareness for Acquired Brain Injuries as my brother had been in a car crash when he was 17 and the charity are very good to him.

I had wanted to do a skydive or bungee jump. But then I thought people wouldn’t donate money so you could enjoy something, plus I had a knee operation at the start of the year to reconstruct my knee (ACL, check it out on youtube, I can only get about 30 seconds into the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tshaqHudsNw&feature=related) and I needed a goal to recover.
Neill my brother then came home one day and was complaining about his 2hr daily walk to and from work and decided to buy a bike. He was also talking about his friend who did a charity cycle and from there it sparked. The idea was born; we were going to do a charity cycle.

So here I am looking for your attention and money… I never thought I would ever be a blogger, although I always knew I was a bit of a bogger alright!!!

Founding members and people taking part in the cycle thus far;
Rebecca Smith, Diarmuid Killeen, Daragh Clancy, Linda Mc Mahon, Dara Shannon, Conor Lawlor, Aine Mc Carthy, Declan Keane, Neill Killeen, Dominic Flaherty, Mike Finn, Connor Power (if around), Jonathan Fenn, and friends of friends.....